Death with Dignity Advocacy Plan
Healthcare advocacy is a significant role in the development and growth of the healthcare sector. It facilitates change and transition of healthcare protocols and enables both physicians and patients to get the best healthcare possible (Preston, 2006). However, it is important to note that health care advocacy is constantly faced with enormous challenges due to implementation. There are many areas across the country that reject the need to change and improve upon healthcare protocols. This is most prevalent when they stem from controversial perspectives. The purpose of the death with dignity advocacy plan is to provide a clear legislative solution to the issue of assisted suicide. By choosing to actively promote the creation of new legislation to formally and legally accept assisted suicide across the US, this plan hopes to not only educate the public, but also provide the terminally ill with the right to choose how and when they will die. The creation of such federal legislation would work well to ensure that the dignity of the terminally ill is guaranteed not only by their families and physicians, but also by law. This paper seeks to discuss the death with dignity advocacy campaign and its contributive factors as well as the legal considerations and implications of pursuing the creation of new legislation to legalize assisted suicide across the entire USA.
Death with Dignity Advocacy Campaign
Terminal illnesses are some of the most debilitating health care conditions that patients can suffer from. This is because these illnesses are virtually incurable, and as such, force patients to cope with them throughout the duration that they are sick (Karaim, 2013). In this way, many terminal patients tend to suffer excruciating amounts of pain both physically and emotionally, towards the end of their life. It is important that such patients are protected from this harm, and are provided with an opportunity that allows them to die in peace and in a way that foregoes any unnecessary pain and suffering. It is because of this that the Death with Dignity campaign proves to be significantly essential across the United States (Death with Dignity National Center, n.d.).
Population Health Issue and Population Affected
The populations that are affected by terminal illnesses are vast and full of variation. They vary not only in terms of age, sex, and ethnicity, but also do so in terms of the illness they are suffering from, and their ability to afford health careThe best way to ensure this protection is by enabling individuals to make informed decisions not only on how they plan on dying but also on when they plan on dying. This is why it is essential for all American states to develop and enact legislation that supports assisted suicide among the terminally ill.
Advocacy Programs in this Area
One of the major programs of health advocacy is the Death with Dignity campaign. This campaign, which was backed by Oregon Law 1994/1997/2006 has been successful in promoting conscious decisions among terminally ill patients regarding their death (Death with Dignity National Center, n.d.). It enables them to plan the remaining portion of their active life to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering when faced with a terminal illness. In other instances, it is important to note that many other states across the US support euthanasia, but have no legislation supporting assisted suicide for the terminally ill. While this is in itself a drawback, it also serves as a starting point for the development of assisted suicide advocacy programs for the terminally ill across the USA (Karaim, 2013).
The fact is that many Americans believe euthanasia is justified. This is a stepping stone that can be used to promote assisted suicide through programs such as Death with Dignity across the Unites States in a relatively easier manner than it would be if euthanasia in itself were not supported or sanctioned any place across the country. Early education is the key. It allows the terminally ill patient and their families time to to plan for the last stage at their end of life cycle. This advocacy group empowers patients and families with the information to make informed decisions regarding their care. (Compassion and Choices, n.d.).
Effective Attributes of the Program
The Death with Dignity campaign has proven to be quite successful in so far as preventing unnecessary pain and suffering for many terminally ill patients across the united states is concerned (Battin, Rhodes, & Silvers, 2015). It has also broadened the social, political, and psychological understanding of terminal illnesses and the effects that they have on their patients not only physically, but also emotionally and mentally (De Lima et al., 2017). In this way, it has managed to demonstrate that allowing terminally ill patients to decide when to end their lives not only prevents them from unnecessary pain and suffering but also precludes them from mental and emotional torture.
Health Advocacy Plan
One campaign that will prove to be effective in promoting the acceptance of assisted suicide among the terminally ill is by holding company, talks, and debates surrounding assisted suicide across numerous states, and particularly those that are yet to adopt assisted suicide legislation (Preston, 2006). This would help to demonstrate the plight of terminally ill patients insofar as physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual struggles are concerned (Breitbart, Rosenfeld, Pessin, Kaim, Funesti-Esch, Galietta, Brescia, 2016). This effort will also help the rest of the public to sympathize and empathize with terminally ill patients and understand the importance of allowing such patients to actively decide when to end their life.
Public Health Issue
The rate at which many patients contract terminal illnesses such as cancer is alarming. The fact that approximately 38% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life is a statistic that raises serious confirms insofar as issued such as assisted suicide are concerned (National Cancer Institute, 2015). This is because any of the individuals diagnosed can have their cancer develop to terminal conditions and in doing so subject them to an eternity of pain and suffering.
Proposed Policy Solution
The most effective solution in this respect will be to develop effective federal legislation that legalizes assisted suicide and recognizes it as an act of empathy for terminally ill patients across the entire United States. This would mean that Oregon Law 1994/1997/2006 would be extrapolated into federal law, which would give it greater mandate across the 50 states. From this point, the various campaigns, talks, and debates would work well to convince the American public at the local and state level of the importance of assisted suicide being sanctioned for terminally ill patients (Battin et al., 2015). It should also be noted that the main proposed policy solution will not be subjected to age restrictions, which would essentially work to spare all terminally ill patients of pain and suffering regardless of their age.
Objectives for the Policy to be Implemented
- The main activity for this campaign is to raise the public awareness on assisted suicide as well as the plight of erminally ill patients.
- Secondly, the federal government should continue to work to develop effective and sound federal legislation yearly to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients across the United States.
- Lastly for this policy, provide quarterly education to the healthcare system that provides adequate care for the terminally ill and which enables them to make informed decisions regarding their death.
Information Conveyance to Stakeholders
There three stakeholders such as, the federal and state governments, the public, and the healthcare sector. The federal and state governments will be tasked with developing and enacting effective legislation legalizing assisted suicide for the terminally ill. This will require effective input from experts in healthcare and policy sectors to ensure they can work collaboratively to develop an effective and robust policy that respects the ability of the terminally ill to decide when they need to die (Battin et al., 2015). The public will play an essential role in influencing the trajectory of discussion. By sensitizing them on the plight of the terminally ill and informing them of the need to develop effective legislation granting the terminally ill the ability to terminate their lives, the American public can begin to understand the importance of legalizing assisted suicide for the terminally ill (Emanuel et al., 2016). The healthcare sector will need to develop effective protocols that will not only clearly outline the process of assisted suicide and the health conditions, but decide when to termination is an option. The healthcare sector will also be responsible for training personnel and the development of facilities for assisted suicide.
Supporting Evidence
Pain. Terminal illnesses are known to have significant physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual implications on patients. The fact that patients are essentially required to withstand all of this pain and suffering throughout the terminal illness is a mistake that should be corrected.
Stakeholder support. Furthermore, the number of terminally ill patients is too high to take issues surrounding assisted suicide for the demographic in jest. It is an issue that needs a significant amount of support and input from all stakeholders to address holistically and conclusively.
Legal Considerations
Insofar as the development of any new legislation is concerned, it is important to note that the legislative process is typically lengthy and prone to objection (Knickman, Kovner, & Jonas, 2016). These issues are further amplified when the issue under deliberation is as contentious as assisted suicide. Ensuring that the terminally ill receive the best care possible and that they can make conscious and informed decisions on when to end their lives, with the unequivocal support of the law, will be a step in the right direction for healthcare and a means of conferring dignity to the lives of the terminally ill.
Creation of New Legislation
Seeing as assisted suicide for the terminally ill is still illegal in many US states, it is vital to develop federal legislation that ensures this is no longer the case. By design, the existent of state laws prohibiting assisted suicide and the absence of federal law supporting it makes it difficult for the terminally ill to self-decide when to end their lives (Death with Dignity National Center, n.d.). In this sense, it becomes critical to ensure that all states embrace the concept of assisted suicide as an act of mercy and empathy for the terminally ill. In this way, it becomes possible to ensure that no terminally ill patients can be condemned to lifelong pain and suffering because they live in a state that does not support assisted suicide (Karaim, 2013). In this sense, the absence of a federal policy or law that either prohibits or accepts assisted suicide hints at the need for a definitive piece of legislation on assisted suicide to provide a sense of direction to any states that are currently debating the issue.
How Existing Laws Could Impact My Advocacy
As a means of seeding up the legislation process, it is possible that Oregon Law 1994/1997/2006 could be extrapolated into federal law and in doing so essentially legalize assisted suicide across the US. However, it is important to note that the provisions and mandates guaranteed by Oregon Law 1994/1997/2006 will not necessarily mesh with all state laws across the country (Death with Dignity National Center, n.d.). Only 8 jurisdictions across the US consider assisted suicide legal, which makes it illegal across the other 42 states. From this position, extrapolating Oregon Law 1994/1997/2006 into federal law faces numerous challenges because it essentially contradicts the laws developed by independent states on the issue, and which goes against the principles of lawmaking seeing as it creates a legal stalemate. Although sound legislation supporting assisted suicide can be developed at the federal level, the bulk of US states would have to amend their state laws surrounding assisted suicide before said federal law can enjoy blanket application across the entire US.
Analysis of Methods used to Influence Legislators or Other Policy Makers to Support the Policy
Insofar as this policy change is concerned, the two core methods that stand to be most effective in influencing legislators and other policy makers are lobbying from special interest groups and building public awareness (Knickman et al., 2016). Lobbying from special interest groups and associated parties would go a long way towards signaling the seriousness with which assisted suicide should be approached in the American context. From healthcare professional groups to health insurance service providers, marshalling these groups to lobby for the federal legalization of assisted suicide is critical (Milstead & Short, 2019). Furthermore, this lobbying will ensure this issue is deliberated at the federal level as a topic of national interest as opposed to a state-specific issue. On the other hand, increasing public awareness through debates, town hall meetings, and other forums would work well to enlighten the public on the benefits and need for the legalization of assisted suicide for the terminally ill. By increasing the awareness of the public on the matter, they are more likely to pressure their representatives at both state and federal level to support the legalization of assisted suicide for the terminally ill (Milstead & Short, 2019). Such efforts are bound to ensure that the discussion on developing federal legislation legalizing assisted suicide gains traction and is provided with the requisite media coverage necessary to ensure it is developed and implemented.
The “Three Legs” of Lobbying
For maximum effectiveness, this lobbying campaign will leverage direct lobbying, political action committees, and grassroots support (Zetter, 2011). The grassroots support will be facilitated by identifying key leaders within the different states that support legalizing assisted suicide and ensuring they convince the legislators to support this law. Similarly, the conduction of town hall meetings will also increase public awareness and support on the issue, which is vital to guaranteeing the entire state’s political machinery supports the law (Zetter, 2011). Forming political action committees will also prove beneficial in facilitating a more impactful lobbying process. By raising money from the public, these committees will pledge their support to legislators that support the legalization of assisted suicide at federal and, where applicable, state level. This approach is sure to deter any legislators from opposing this law. Lastly, direct lobbying will work well to better articulate the issues to the legislators involved (Zetter, 2011). Town hall meetings and even private meetings with healthcare professionals are likely to facilitate an effective direct lobbying process.
Summary of Anticipated Obstacles and How to Overcome Them
The biggest obstacles likely to hinder the development and implementation of this legislation are resistance from the public and a misunderstanding of the ethical standpoints supporting assisted suicide. To avoid them, it will be imperative to ensure that the town hall meetings and other public debates and forums are well articulated with accurate facts (Zetter, 2011). This is sure to provide both legislators and the general public with the ability to make informed decisions on the necessity of federal legislation legalizing assisted suicide for the terminally ill. Insofar as the ethical standpoints of this issue are concerned, providing personal accounts of the challenges that individuals living with terminal illnesses encounter is the best way to underscore the empathy, relief, and mercy that federally legalized assisted suicide looks to confer to said patients.
Summary
Terminally ill patients are often required to endure long months, and in some cases years, of untold pain and suffering. This not only deprives them of their ability to enjoy their lives in every aspect, but also robs them of the dignity that human life deserves. It is time for the American society to embrace the concept of federally legalized assisted suicide as a means of allowing the terminally ill to forego unnecessary pain and suffering as well as live a short, albeit dignified life after their terminal diagnosis.
Considering the precedence set by Oregon Law 1994/1997/2006 insofar as legalized assisted suicide for the terminally ill is concerned, effective advocacy measures are required to extend the benefits of this law to all Americans regardless of their state. A step-wise plan on how to increase public awareness on the need for legalizing assisted suicide for the terminally ill coupled with robust lobbying is sure to have a monumental impact on the trajectory that this proposed legislation takes. Although a number of obstacles such as varying state laws and partial public resistance threaten to stifle the realization of this goal, they can be overcome. Effective collaboration among all stakeholders is necessary for the successful development and implementation of this law, and these are issues that need to be carefully addressed going forward.
References
Battin, M. P., Rhodes, R., & Silvers, A. (2015). Physician-assisted suicide: expanding the debate. Routledge. NewYork
Breitbart, W., Rosenfeld, B., Pessin, H., Kaim, M., Funesti-Esch, J., Galietta, M., Brescia, R. (2000). Depression, hopelessness, and desire for hastened death in terminally ill patients with cancer. Journal of American Medical Association, 284(22), 2907-2911. doi:10.1001/jama.284.22.2907
Compassion and Choices. (n.d.). About us- Compassion and Choices.
Death with Dignity National Center. (n.d.). About us—Death with Dignity.
De Lima, L., Woodruff, R., Pettus, K., Downing, J., Buitrago, R., Munyoro, E., … & Radbruch, L. (2017). International association for hospice and palliative care position statement: Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 20(1), 8-14. doi:10.1089/jpm.2016.0290
Emanuel, E. J., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D., Urwin, J. W., & Cohen, J. (2016). Attitudes and practices of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Journal of American Medical Association 316(1), 79-90. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.8499
Karaim, R. (2013). Assisted suicide: Should doctors be allowed to help terminally ill patients die?. Washington, D.C: CQ Press.
Knickman, J. R., Kovner, A. R., & Jonas, S. (2016). Jonas & Kovner’s health care delivery in the United States. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
National Cancer Institute. (2015). Cancer of any site – Cancer stat facts.
Preston, T. A. (2006). Patient-directed dying: A call for legalized aid in dying for the terminally ill. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.
Zetter, L. (2011). Lobbying: The art of political persuasion. Petersfield, Hampshire: Harriman House.
